The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-07-31
A Successor to Mr.. Beccher.

The Rev. DR.. PARKER, who Ia about to
come to this country to deliver eulogy on
the late HENRY WARD BEECHER, undoubtedly
has in mind the possibility Of his remaining
here as the successor of MreBERCHER in the
pastorship Of Plymouth Church. In. England,
as he told his congregation at the City Temple
in London on Thursday, he is only Dis
senter, who "is almost obliged to apologize
for his convictions" but here, he says, there
are no Dissenters, and every man stands for
what he Is worth.
According to description OF him by IN
American preacher who recently heard him
at the City Temple. DR.. PARKER's estimate
OF his own worth Is exceedingly high, but it
Is perhaps doubtful whether the Plymouth
flock will be of that opinion. His Amer
lean critic speaks Of him as arrogant, con-
ceited, and pompoue in the pulpit, and as
having an affected manner Of delivery and
Of conducting religious exercises which
might be intolerable to people who had been
accustomed to the natural manner and spon-
taneous oratory Of Mr.. BEEoHER.
We imagine, therefore, that 30 far as the
Plymouth pulpit Is concerned, DR.. PARKER
simply comes as candidate on trial; but it
is altogether probable that he will remain
hero, II not as the successor OF Mr.. BEECHER,
at least as the pastor Of some other
church, either Congregational or Pres
byterian, for the importation OF pas
tors from the British kingdom has Of
late years been very fashionable. When DR..
JOHN HALL came nither in 1867 as delegate
from the Presbyterian General Assembly
OF Ireland. he produced SO agreeable
an impression that he had hardly
got. back to Dublin before he re-
ceived by cable call to the Fifth Avenue
Presbyterian Church. Five years afterward
DR.. WILLIAM NJ. TAYLOR, who had come
over as delegate from the English Presby-
terians, became pastor OF the Broadway
Tabernacle. The precedents, therefore, it
will be seen, are In favor Of Dr. PARKER's
remaining. for he evidently comes with the
thought of staying, and, despite his pecu-
liarities Of manner, Is unquestionably an able
man and an effective pulpit orator.
OF course 1t will be hard for Plymouth
Church to content itself with anybody who
Is put forward as a successor to man Of the
genius of Mr.. BEEoHER. We see that DIR.
MoG1YNN Is suggested for the place
and undoubtedly he has such fitness for
~ 10 BIod1 klNcSs duu, M
sides. he is distinguished for his elo-
quence. II he were on the Plymouth
pulpit there is no question that for time at
least he would crowd the meeting house with
people curious to see and hear him. The
passage Of priest from the altar Of the
Roman Catholic Church to the platform to
which Mr.. BEECHER gave 80 great renown
would be very sensational, There is no
doubt about that. But DIR. McGLYNN pro-
tests that he is still Roman Catholic and
that his war Is only with the ecclesiastical
machine" which misrepresents true Cathol-
icism. How. then, could he become Prot
estant pastor, and administer the sacra-
ment In defiance Of Catholic teaching? II
DIR. McGLYNN abandons Catholicism It
seems to us that he Is more likely to pass
over into agnosticism and the modern FIRE.
ligious philosophy than to find refuge In
Plymouth Church or any other Protestant
pulpit His present tendency at least, is
toward conclusions far away from those of
both Catholic and Protestant theology.
But DR.. PARKER's first address to the peo-
pie Of Plymouth Church will be awaited with
very great interest. for upon the future re-
lations between him and them in great
measure depends the integrity of the Ply
mouth congregation.